Vocal Talent - Jenny Forrest

Jenny Forrest, 17, has always loved singing. She got her start at performing for an audience at family gatherings when she was only 5 years old, singing while her father played the guitar.

To improve on her talent, she has been taking voice lessons for two years from Mary Matthews in Hampton. Jenny started the lessons just because she enjoyed singing, but has discovered there is more to it than meets the eye.

"I was an alto when I began, but my instructor has taught me techniques in breathing, keeping my back straight and my bottom tucked in, and how to hit those high notes. Now I can sing soprano," she says.

Jenny has learned classical singing which involves singing in Italian or German and says that it can be quite difficult to express the emotion of a song in another language. She won third place in a Lions' Club classical vocal competition. However, she prefers to sing more upbeat songs and won first place in Poquoson High Talent Competition with "Can't Help Loving That Man" from the musical "Showboat."

She loves the theater and ofter travels to New York with her mother to see productions. Jenny appeared in the lead role of the fall musical, "The Apple Tree" at Poquoson High School and is a featured soloist with the school's show choir, Soundsation.

Jenny also enjoys modeling and had appeared in Leggett's Department Store "Back to School" fashion shows.

"I'm not afraid to get out there. People are there to enjoy it, so if I'm enjoying myself then they will too."

A graduate from Poquoson High this year, Jenny will attend Christopher Newport College in the fall to study psychology and elementary education. In preparation for her intended career, she works with first-graders at Playtime Day Care.

Although she imagines herself married in 10 years, teaching and participating in community theatre, she says," Becoming a popular singer is luck. You have to be in the right place at the right time, and hopefully one day I'll be there."